How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History

Petrillo Battles Recording Industry, 1940-1958

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on December 6: “The outcome took everyone by surprise, including members of the CMUD steering committee, who admitted they had not expected to win so much. Their movement started only a year ago during the local’s annual business meeting and eventually grew into one of the most effective in a series of rebel movements that have recently shaken veteran leadership in Chicago labor. The upset will change markedly the relationship of the union with the Chicago Orchestral Association. Two symphony men are now on the Local 10 board and Petrillo, who sometimes held down the symphony men when they wanted to blast management, is gone.”

To everyone’s shock, CMUD’s slate of twenty-eight candidates had soundly defeated Petrillo and his regime. It was the end of an era and a stunning rejection of one of the most powerful leaders in American labor history.